Women in Film, Great British reception, QVC fetes soggy Hollywood

Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town was out in force.

Helen Mirren and Oscar nominee June Squibb shook hands at Women in Film’s cocktail party , the former in white and the latter “blinged out,” a status of which the 85-year-old “Nebraska” actress has grown weary. “I’m looking forward to getting back to normal life. Although I did put work on hold to do this,” she said, motioning to the room packed primarily with champagne-toting women. She’s not writing a speech for either the Independent Spirit Awards or the Oscars, but rather “has really been thinking about what to say.”

Along with Lupita Nyong’o, “Before Midnight” scribe Julie Delpy and Sarah Paulson, “Gone Girl” costume designer Trish Summerville was also at the event, dressed head-to-toe in a white pantsuit that edged on the side of risqué. She said that more than one person has classified her style as either Amish (see “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” premiere) or far from it – hence the plunging neckline. She said she would not be doing any collaborations for her work on David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” starring Ben Affleck, as the costumes are “too modern and contemporary.”

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The Great British reception, with the emphasis on the “great,” celebrated the Blighty nominees under a tent in the backyard of the consul general’s Hancock Park residence. There Sally Hawkins, who had arrived just a couple of days earlier from the U.K., apologized for being jetlagged. “I’m very blessed to be here for the Oscars and a Woody Allen film,” she said.

Fox Searchlight’s Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula were looking past “12 Years a Slave” to their upcoming slate, which he pointed out included Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” as well as the sequel to “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” Helmer Steve McQueen and the producers of “12 Years” including Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Anthony Katagas, Delpy, Philomena Lee, Jacqueline Bisset and Jared Harris were among those milling around on the lawn.

Meanwhile at the Four Seasons, the QVC Red Carpet party was soggy and packed. The grass was trampled and sticky from the storm, and people were crammed shoulder to shoulder, with a scowling fire marshal looking on. But where were the famous people? QVC was doing a live broadcast from an elevated stage, which used the party as a curious background. Miss Piggy was a guest of honor, arriving atop a leopard-print divan carried by shirtless hunks. Joan Rivers was later seen fleeing the hotel with cake all over her face — no word if Piggy (who mocked the “Fashion Police” hostess in an interview) was the baked goods bandit.

Then it was off to Sadie’s, home of the Vanity Fair/L’Oreal/Anna Kendrick jam that featured a perfectly waxed Fiat on the red carpet. Kendrick was early on the dance floor with the likes of Aubrey Plaza, Zoe Kravitz and Kelly Osbourne.

“I will be dancing in the middle of them all. But for now it’s just crazy ridiculous, I still can’t believe I’m at the center of this party,” Kendrick told Variety.

Osbourne, meanwhile, found a home behind the DJ booth.

“I do get very nervous on live television,” she said of her Oscar red carpet hosting duties, shouting over the music. “This is, after all my life and I never know what I am doing or saying. It’s always a good time though.”

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Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town […]

Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town […]

Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town […]

Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town […]

Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town […]

Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town […]

Although Los Angeles only recorded 1.53 inches of rain over the course of 12 hours on Friday according to the National Weather Service, it was enough precipitation to cause a rather sizable and particularly deep tidal pool outside West Hollywood’s Fig & Olive. On the penultimate day prior to Hollywood’s most famous night, Oscar Sunday, the town […]